Groundbreaking sports reporter definitely Proud to Be

Jenny Cavnar, Colorado State University alumna, was never one to settle for the status quo. She grew up loving sports and knew from an early age that she wanted to be a broadcaster.

It wasn’t long before she realized that opportunities for women in that field are usually limited to sideline reporting and studio reporting. The coveted jobs doing television or radio play-by-play of major sports were held almost exclusively by men. But Cavnar (B.S., Business Administration; B.A., Communication Studies ’04) was determined to forge her own path – one that led to the highest levels of sports broadcasting.

Working her way up

Yes, she paid her dues, spending years as a sideline reporter for both San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies broadcasts, and working her way into a job doing studio analysis for Rockies TV broadcasts. All of those years of work were rewarded in April when the Rockies and AT&T SportsNet gave Cavnar the opportunity to take over play-by-play duties for a game against the Padres.

Making history

She became the first female to call a Rockies game in 25 years, and just the third in history. Not bad for someone who got her start in broadcasting doing sideline reporting for a small Fort Collins radio station’s high school football broadcasts while a student at CSU.

“I’m really proud to come from a university like CSU that has produced a lot of trailblazers – women breaking down barriers, like Becky Hammon and Amy Van Dyken,” she said. “I really hope the historic part of my opportunity helps move the needle a bit more for females in this business and creates more opportunities.”